SLAYTON BUILDING MATERIALS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

By Crystal Reith When Troy Wehking and Tom Klein opened Slayton Building Materials in February 2001, their goal was to simply build a business of their own while serving the area communities.

Natives of Fulda, both gained experience in the industry at the Fulda Lumber Yard. Wehking began working at the yard at age 16 while Klein farmed for eight years before joining the lumber yard crew.

“I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to own something,” Klein said. “If I wasn’t going to farm, I wanted to work at an elevator or lumber yard.”

After several years of working together in the lumber yard, the two began discussing the possibility of owning a business. They had collaborated on projects before and knew they worked well as partners.

“We had done projects together and knew we could work together,” said Klein. “We had both been looking in other areas, but that would require relocating. We felt by teaming up, we could do it in the area where we lived.”

The pair purchased the United Building Center yard on the north end of the main business district along Broadway Avenue, across from the library. With input from others, they renamed the business Slayton Building Materials.

“We wanted to give the aura that we served a broader area and more than just lumber,” said Klein.

The property itself has a deep connection to the region’s early commerce and railroad history.

“A rail line ran along the north side of the property, allowing building materials to be delivered by train,” said Klein. “Lumber yards in those days also handled coal and it could be shoveled right from the train into the building.”

Over the years, the business has expanded its facilities by adding storage buildings, remodeling office space and purchasing neighboring property. Equipment has also replaced some of the heavy manual labor that once defined lumber yard work.

“We’ve remodeled the angled building multiple times and still find coal in the rafters,” Wehking said.

When Slayton Building Materials opened in 2001, the business had four employees that included a yard man, bookkeeper and co-owners Wehking and Klein.

Today, the company employs about 10 people, including fulltime staff, a bookkeeper, and seasonal high school and college workers.

Slayton Building Materials supplies materials for a wide range of projects, including doors, windows, siding, drywall, trim and other building supplies for homes, additions and agricultural buildings.

“We carry everything you need to put together a home, an addition or an ag shop,” Wehking said.

As their business has grown, the industry has also evolved.

“Now, it’s much more projectoriented and it’s bigger things,” Klein said.

Wehking added the number of product options has also increased dramatically.

“There are many more options. When we started, if you wanted an interior door you might choose between two species and two colors,” he said. “Now, there might be 10 species, five colors and five different door profiles.”

Over the years, Slayton Building Materials has supplied materials for everything from barns and churches to bars, restaurants and homes. While residential projects currently make up a large share of the company’s work, they also have a good mix of projects in the agricultural, commercial and recreational industries. As plans for the Wonder World building continue to move forward, the pair are excited for the opportunity to help with the project.

For customers planning a building project, both owners stress the importance of planning ahead and setting a realistic budget.

“The first thing we ask is what the use and function of the project will be,” Wehking said. “Then we can design it around their needs.”

While helping customers plan projects, running the business can also present its own challenges. For the co-owners, maintaining the standards they set for themselves and their staff can be demanding.

“We both come at things from different directions, but our end goals are the same,” he said. “We have high expectations for ourselves and our employees and it’s a real challenge to live up to the standards that we’ve set.”

Despite those challenges, both noted that helping customers complete their projects remains the most rewarding part of the work.

“Helping people achieve their dreams and goals is the best part,” Wehking said.

For Klein, he enjoys everything about the work, every day.

As they look toward the future, the partners say their goals remain the same as when they first started.

“To continue doing what we’re doing and try to do it better,” Klein said.

Wehking added that they want to continue providing a full-service lumber yard in this community.

To mark the company’s 25th anniversary, Slayton Building Materials is partnering with the Murray County Fair to sponsor entertainment during the fair’s Friday night activities, including a performance by the Johnny Holm Band.

The celebration is meant as a thank you to customers and the community that has supported the business since the beginning.

“We’re thankful for all the people who helped us along the way, especially the people in our past that helped get us hooked on the industry,” Wehking said. “The support and loyalty of the community has meant everything. We’re blessed that we’ve been able to be here for 25 years.”